Hearing the announcers talk about the cut during a golf tournament can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the term. A professional golf tournament starts with a large field of competitors, and the cut is simply the process of reducing that field for the final rounds. This article will explain exactly how the cut works, why it exists, and what it means for professional and amateur golfers alike.
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What Exactly Is the Cut in Golf?
In the simplest terms, the cut is a performance-based elimination that happens midway through a standard professional golf tournament. Most tournaments on tours like the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour are four-day, 72-hole events, typically running from Thursday to Sunday.
The cut takes place after the first two rounds (36 holes) are completed on Friday. Only the players who have a score at or below a specific number - known as the "cut line" - are allowed to continue playing on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the players are eliminated from the tournament, or "miss the cut" (often abbreviated as "MC" on the leaderboard), and do not receive any prize money for the week.
The primary reasons for having a cut are:
Field Management: A full field of 144 or 156 players makes for long rounds and potential daylight issues. Reducing the field to about half that number for the weekend streamlines the event, allowing for earlier finish times and a more manageable broadcast window.
Player Payouts: Prize purses in professional golf are divided among the players who make the cut. So, surviving the cut directly means you are earning a paycheck for the week. Can amateur golfers get paid?
Weekend Excitement: The cut ensures that only the players who are in good form and have a realistic chance of competing for the title are playing on the weekend, which concentrates the storylines and adds to the drama.
The PGA TOUR Cut Rule: Top 65 and Ties
The standard cut rule on the PGA TOUR is straightforward: the top 65 players and any players tied with that 65th-place score make the cut and advance to the weekend. This is an important distinction because the "and ties" clause often means that more than 65 players will end up playing on Saturday and Sunday.
Here’s a clear example of how “and ties” works:
Imagine after two rounds, the leaderboard shows that 60 players have a score of -1 or better. Five players are sitting right at even par, which puts them in a tie for 61st place. The next group of ten players is at +1, all tied for 66th place. Since the cut is the top 65 and ties, none of the players at +1 would make the cut because it would go through the tie at 65 players. However, let's say after two rounds, a total of players up until 65 are at a score of even par or better, and a whole group of eight players sit at +1 on the leaderboard. Since these players are within the top 65 players "and ties," all would make the cut. This is why you sometimes see 70, 75, or even 80+ players competing on a Saturday.
A Note on the Old "Made Cut, Did Not Finish" (MDF) Rule
You may have heard of an old rule that added a second cut on Saturday. If the "and ties" rule resulted in more than 78 players making the standard 36-hole cut, there used to be a secondary cut after the third round on Saturday. Only the top 70 and ties after the third round would proceed to the final round on Sunday. Players who were eliminated by this Saturday cut were known as "MDF" (Made Cut, Did Not Finish).
It's important to know this "Rule 78" and the MDF designation were eliminated by the PGA TOUR starting in the 2019-2020 season. Today, if a player makes the 36-hole cut, they are guaranteed to play all four rounds, no matter how many players are in the weekend field.
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The four major championships in men's golf are the pinnacle of the sport, and each one has its own specific cut rule, adding another layer of texture to these historic events. What are the 4 major golf events?
The Masters Tournament
Cut Rule: Top 50 players and ties.
Played at Augusta National, The Masters has the smallest starting field of any established yearly major, typically around 85-100 players. In 2020, the once-famed cut rule that existed for years no longer applied, which was that any player within 10 strokes of the leader's score automatically made the cut, regardless of their position on the leaderboard. The new rule states that a player simply in the top 50 (with ties) has made the cut. What is the cut off for The Masters golf?
The PGA Championship
Cut Rule: Top 70 players and ties.
Similar to a regular PGA TOUR event but slightly more generous, the PGA Championship’s rule allows a larger weekend field. The event is run by the PGA of America and features many club professionals in its field alongside the world's best touring pros.
The U.S. Open
Cut Rule: Top 60 players and ties.
Historically known as the toughest test in golf, the U.S. Open fittingly has the most stringent cut rule among the majors. The USGA, which runs the event, wants to ensure only the very best performers can handle the challenging conditions over four days.
The Open Championship (The British Open)
Cut Rule: Top 70 players and ties.
Much like the PGA Championship, the R&,A takes a more inclusive approach, allowing a good number of the 156-player field to continue into the weekend at the world's oldest golf championship.
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It's also good to know that not every professional event has a cut. Certain tournaments guarantee every participant plays all four rounds and earns a paycheck, regardless of their performance. These no-cut events include:
The Sentry &, limited field events: The PGA TOUR’s season opener in Hawaii, which features only winners from the previous season.
WGC (World Golf Championships) Events &, FedExCup Playoff Events: Tournaments like The TOUR Championship &, The BMW Championship are reserved for the top rank-and-file of players, where every player is guaranteed to play all rounds of the tournament. The 2024 season introduces a series of limited series (8 tournaments with limited fields and no cuts for the players).
Team Events: Events like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup feature pairings and matches, with no individual stroke-play cut. What is a match play in golf?
LIV Golf Events: The LIV Golf tour features 54-hole tournaments (three rounds) with a smaller, 48-player field and no cut. All players compete every day.
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One of the most compelling parts of watching professional golf on a Friday is seeing where the cut line will end up. The "line" is the score needed to make the cut, and it's a moving target throughout the second round.
Players who tee off in the afternoon have an idea of what score they'll need for Friday, ramping up the pressure. You'll often see graphics showing a player's scoreboard highlight of where they are in relation to "the number." If a player is struggling and approaching their final few holes, they know they might need a birdie to get inside the line and make it to Saturday. It creates tremendous drama, turning an otherwise standard Friday afternoon into a high-stakes battle for survival.
The players who are "on the bubble," or teetering on that exact cut line number, can sometimes feel immense pressure during these final holes - every shot counting and leading either to a nice payday on Saturday or a premature trip home Friday. This pressure is what makes watching and following players through it so exciting.
What a "Cut" Means for Amateur Golfers
Outside of the professional circuits, the term "cut" doesn't have an official rule application. However, it's often used in many club tournaments or informal friendly golf trips. These tournaments will adopt their own cut rules for the field playing, which works in a similar stroke play competition style to the PGA. In a casual round setting, you may hear someone say, "you didn't get axed by the 'cut,'" meaning you're not eliminated. It's just part of the fun golfing culture on the course.
Understanding what it means to make or miss a cut gives you a newfound appreciation for the skill and mental toughness required to succeed as a professional golfer. The line between earning a paycheck and going home with nothing often comes down to that final putt on Friday, which adds an incredibly thrilling element to this great game as there are storylines to follow down the back nine to see who can make an exciting last-minute push and play for all the marbles over the weekend.
Final Thoughts
In a golf tournament, a cut is essentially the process of trimming the starting field based on performance to set up for a more manageable and exciting weekend. It's a fundamental part of most stroke-play tournaments that brings out the drama, ensuring players earn their spot on the weekend when the pressure for making the cut is the highest. Making a cut often means coming through in clutch situations and avoiding big numbers under pressure. Whether you're trying to play your best at your club championship or on your next golf trip, you're going to face shots that make you feel uncomfortable and could sway your scorecard for better or worse. Our app, Caddie AI, is a great guide when you come face-to-face with these situations, acting as a real-time expert strategist in your pocket. You can even take a photo of a difficult lie in the rough or by a hazard, and our app will give you the best way to approach and execute the shot. Caddie AI, giving you simple, effective advice when you need it most, can help you make the cut.
Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.
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